1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to dieting aids and, more particularly, to a dieting system inclusive of a calorie-counting bracelet and method of use.
2. Description of the Background
Effective weight loss depends very simply upon regulating caloric intake over time. Unfortunately, it is all too easy to lose control of calorie intake by forgetting what has been eaten, or by not counting impulsive snacks. Numerous scientific studies have shown that dieters should count and track calories and weight, and a number of nationally known dieting programs have evolved around this basic concept. However, the common pitfalls of such programs include underestimating the calories actually eaten, lack of consistent recording, or recording calories too infrequently.
In a Kaiser Permanente study of 2037 participants of a weight loss program, participants were asked to record and graph their food calories and weight every day. Some participants did so at least five days per week, others only 3-4 times per week, 1-2 times per week, or not at all. The results show that those who recorded calories 5+times per week lost significantly more weight in a shorter period of time than those who recorded their daily calorie less frequently.
While scrutinous counting helps, our general population lacks the self-discipline and dietary knowledge required to accurately track calories actually eaten on a consistent and frequent basis. Consequently, many people sense that they are not losing enough weight after dieting for a time, lose patience, and give up.
Effective calorie counting requires the proper tools to provide the necessary cues to strictly impose the following constraints:
daily caloric intake records are kept;
caloric intake is accurately recorded for all food consumed;
weight change is tracked as a function of food calories and time.
It would be greatly advantageous to provide a system and device for counting calories that provides these necessary cues to maintain a continual awareness of a dieter""s goals, thereby helping to ensure that the above-referenced constraints are more rigidly self-enforced and helping to achieve effective results.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a system inclusive of a calorie counting bracelet and method of use that cues the user to keep more frequent (daily) and accurate caloric intake records of all food consumed, thereby facilitating the tracking of weight change as a function of food calories and time.
It is another object to provide a calorie-counting bracelet as described above in the form of a highly attractive jewelry item that gives no outward indication that is has anything at all to do with dieting, thereby allowing the dieting method to be practiced surreptitiously.
It is another object to provide a system and device for counting calories that provides the necessary cues to maintain a continual awareness of a dieter""s goals, thereby promoting a cognitive behavioral change to good eating habits over time.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a device for counting calories which is always handy, eliminates the need for pencil and/or paper, and that is capable of keeping track of calories consumed over the course of a day.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a device as described above that is simple, easy to use, reliable, and which does not interfere in any way with the dieter""s normal routine.
According to the present invention, a system for keeping accurate daily records of caloric intake for all food consumed is disclosed, the system including a calorie counting bracelet, associated documentation, and a method of using the same to accurately count calories on a daily basis. The bracelet is formed by a plurality of counting beads each having an aperture there through. A monofilament line is threaded in a looping manner through the aperture of each counting bead such that the line overlaps itself within the aperture. Using this configuration the counting beads may be selectively slid along the length of the line and retained in position, permitting the wearer to keep track of daily calorie intake by the movement and placement of the beads. A plurality of summing beads are also included, each of the summing beads also having an aperture there through. The summing beads are strung one per every five counting beads. This way, the counting beads are assigned an associative value of 100 calories per bead and are subdivided into groups of 500 calories by inter-positioned summing beads.
A method of using the above-described bracelet to count calories is also taught, the method including the steps of assigning a quantitative caloric value to each counting bead, selectively sliding a commensurate number of counting beads over one position in accordance calories ingested, summing the total calorie consumption over the course of a day by the position of the counting beads on the bracelet, and moving the counting beads back to their original position to begin tracking the next day.